Pahu Waiwai (Resource Box): Pae ʻĀina (Hawaiian Islands)

There are countless stories of how our Hawaiian Islands came to be. The demigod Maui who fished up the islands with his magical hook, or the goddess of the lua pele (volcano), Pele, who used her magical pāoa (divining rod) to find fire in each island. Each of these mo‘olelo (stories) share valuable lessons, and each connects us as kānaka ‘ōiwi (natives) to this land. Through these genealogies our people are connected to all living things, as important parts of who we are. In this pahu waiwai, keiki will explore each island, learning attributes that make it unique, including its mountains where akua (gods) reside, and the channels of oceans that connect them.